Magica's Fortune
by Phoenix Ride
Summary: Story requested by Brave Kid. What if there was another reason Magica was so desperate to get Scrooge's dime. That it wasn't for power, but for love. Will Magica be brave enough to finally tell Scrooge this fact, or will he die before she even gets the chance? Find Out! Please Read, Review, and Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1: Lucky For Love

**Magica's Fortune**

 **By: Phoenix Ride**

 **Ch.1: Lucky For Love**

Far off from the west coast of Duckburg, an angry mountain sat, shaped like the head of the nasty sorceress that lived inside its walls. Magica De Spell, a most persistent foe of one of DuckBurg's most respected billionaires, Scrooge McDuck.

For many years now, Scrooge had lost count over how many times that evil witch had tried to steal his Number One Dime. Magica wasn't like every other criminal who went after the old miser's money. The Beagles certainly had no qualms about trying to steal the whole lot, but all Magica went after was the dime, claiming it was the key to conquering the world.

"Can one piece of metal really do all that?" Scrooge thought amongst himself.

The billionaire didn't know, and it was unlikely he ever would know, unless he ever let Magica really steal the dime.

"Pfft, right!" gruffed Scrooge " Like that's going to happen!"

And then he went back to work.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside of her volcanic home, Magica was frowning over the stress of her failures. Poe, her brother turned raven, stared down at her from below, a bit of worry flashing through his eyes.

"Eh" he sighed in his thoughts " this is what happens when you choose your fate."

The raven's mind flashed back to a happier time, back when he was still a duck and his sister wasn't so power crazy to take over the world. Back in those times, things were happier. He and Magica were just two kids with magical gifts, having fun and laughs.

 _"Haha!"laughed out a young Magica, her black dress blowing as she ran " You can't catch me Poe."_

 _"Oh yes I can" called her brother, running behind her " just watch!"_

"Then things got bad when we were older," thought Poe.

 _"Marriage?!" called out Poe and Magica in shock when their parents brought them into the house to talk._

 _"Yes" said Mrs. De Spell " it's an ancient tradition in the De Spell family that the eldest daughter of the De Spell clan, is to marry the eldest brother of the Durmon Clan to make our powers one. As the eldest Magica, this falls as your duty."_

 _"But mother I don't want to marry yet!" complained Magica._

 _"This is not up for discussion Magica!" demanded Mr. De Spell "You will marry a brother from Durmon, you hear me?"_

 _"Yes father," said Magica dejectedly._

"For a while, she actually seemed to go along with it" thought Poe " until her explosive anger fit destroyed Dad's chemicals and transformed me into a raven, then I knew just how serious her rage was. She needed a loop-hole so I told her how mom and dad really met."

"When Mom was born, she had the fortune of not being the eldest daughter in the De Spell line, and could marry whoever she chose when she came of age. The only catch was, to claim the man she wanted to marry, she must capture what is most valuable to him and have the approval after to make the contract bind."

 _Magica accepted those terms, and ran away from home to find a mate. Poe, in hopes of getting turned back into a duck again, decided to tag along for the ride._

 _Years passed, until Magica finally settled down in DuckBurg and set up her volcanic home. She immediately went to town, scouring for men she would like to be with for the rest of her life. None of the candidates around interested her, until one day she got lucky, and bumped into someone who caught her eye. DuckBurg's wealthy, semi-old billionaire Scrooge McDuck._

 _The attraction was instant, and Magica knew that he was the one she was destined to be with and not a brother from Durmon. All that was left to do was to claim his most valued prize._

"But that's where she failed" thought Poe, turning back to reality " and every time her failure crushes her, she goes stir crazy and tries to take over the world. I'll never be normal again at this rate. If only I could help her steal the dime, but it's forbidden for family to interfere."

* * *

Meanwhile, not caring if her brother could notice her brooding mood from his perch, Magica finally stomped out of the lab and entered her room, sighing with defeat.

"I try and try, and what do I get?! Nothing!" she said, taking a seat hard at her bedroom desk.

Carved out of the fine molten rock, this misshapen furniture made a fine desk, and laid out across its surface was a stack of unfinished papers and a pen. The top of the stack of papers clearly read; _Blade of McDuck-First Draft._

"Let's see" said Magica, picking up the pen " where did I leave off?"

 _"Keep screaming my dear!" mocked the villain as he held the wailing Magica by the arms " You know he'll never love you. You're not even worth ten cents to him! Like he would ever spare ten cents to save your miserable life anyway."_

 _"You're wrong!" cried Magica, glaring at the bearded duck " Scrooge cares about me! I know he does! Nothing can change that!"_

 _"The power of money can my dear" claimed Blackgold "already it has his heart trapped. No force on this planet can break it, not even you."_

As she wrote in that last sentence, Magica stopped and cried, her eyes welling up with tears. It was true, she could never be lucky enough for love. No matter what she tried, Scrooge would love his money more, and like her less and less.


	2. Chapter 2: Heroic Crisis

**Ch.2: Heroic Crisis**

"Steady, steady," said Scrooge, edging a dollar bill closer and closer to his masterpiece " Almost got it."

"Oh Mr. McDuck!" suddenly called out the screeching voice of Fenton Crackshell, as the feather accountant barged into the room.

"Bah!" cried out Scrooge in surprise, destroying the cash castle he had worked so long to build. His eyes immediately turned on the unexpected duck in anger. " Fenton! You know better than to disturb me when I am building my cash castles!"

"Sorry Mr. McDuck" said Fenton, a little less excitedly " but I have great news! You remember all that Masked Mallard stuff that happened last week?"

"Aye, what about it?" asked Scrooge semi-curiously.

In the billionaires mind, that one little adventure had been a huge mistake. In an effort to improve his image from a trash-talking media star named Lawrence Loudmouth, Scrooge had been inspired by his nephews to give super-heroing a try.

It seemed to work good for a while, but then all that impostor business came up, and the work to improve his imagine became only that much more tiring. Gyro had hold of the Masked Mallard suit now, and as far as Scrooge was concerned, it could stay there for the rest of its days.

"Well it just turns out you brief gig has turned into a media blitz across town" said Fenton, snapping Scrooge out of his mind " You're a big hero now, second only behind me, Gizmoduck. Anyway, some TV reporters are wanting to do a segment on the Masked Mallard."

"No," said Scrooge, walking away.

"Come on" Fenton begged " a billionaire superhero? You don't see that very often."

Cut in to Batman and Iron Man just off screen, glaring at the white duck. The screen switches back to Fenton, who unleashes a nervous blink before continuing on to beg Scrooge.

"Think of the kids, the merchandising, the money that can be made,"

"Money?" said Scrooge, and that word rang his bell.

Gizmoduck sold and made products based on his popularity, why couldn't the Masked Mallard do the same? Thinking of all the crooked deals he could scheme, Scrooge McDuck looked upon his masked hero persona in a new light.

"Alright Fenton you convinced me" said Scrooge " I'll give the Masked Mallard another go. Contact Gyro Gearloose and tell him to bring back my costume, and notify the media I plan to return. This may just be my biggest deal yet!"

* * *

"This may just be his biggest deal yet!" shouted Flintheart Golmgold, crumpling up a piece of newspaper in his hand, and then hurling it against the wall.

The kilt wearing duck was obliviously not a happy camper. Originating from Scotland just like Scrooge, Flintheart set to make his fortune in the Americas, and worked up quiet a sum of money lying and cheating his way to the top.

However, despite all of his best efforts, Flintheart could never beat out the only real competition that he ever had; Scrooge McDuck.

No matter what the scheme, Scrooge was always three steps ahead of the old haggart, leaving Golmgold playing second string for investment opportunities all throughout the business world.

"With this superhero thing up his sleeve" grumbled Golmgold " Scrooge will make even more money than he has before. I have to stop this crisis, and I just know how."

Hurriedly, Flintheart pounded the button on his speakerphone to the secretary.

"Melinda, gather up all my sources, and tell them to find the meanest villain alive. It's time for the Masked Mallard to make his final heroic act."

With that said, Golmgold laughed out into the dark shadows of his office, savoring the devastation that was soon to come.


	3. Chapter 3: A Shattered Soul

**Ch.3: A Shattered Soul**

Far away, in the old ruins of a town that was once alive with many citizens roaming through its streets, Golmgold's network reached out until it reached Hassan, a poor village street rat, who now lived alone in the ruins of his hometown.

After receiving the message from one of Golmgold's men, the rat immediately ran across to the hideout near the town's edge, and delivered it to a hawk, who turned inside to take it into the stone fortress, and finish the transaction to his boss. A bag food was left out for Hassan, as payment for getting the message delivered on time.

"Hmm" muttered a jackal, reading over the note his hawk guard had just given him " Seems like Golmgold has gotten himself into a situation with a superhero, and he wants us to find a villain to stop it."

"What villains do we know?" asked the hawk guard " Lorenzo and Talak in the next down aren't nearly as evil you are Boss."

"True" grinned the jackal, revealing his fangs " but I've heard rumors about someone who just might be able to pass my standards. He lives up in the Black Rocks, and is quite menacing in his deeds."

"I'll send one of the guards to get him at once Master Anubis," bowed the hawk guard.

"Not a guard" said Anubis sternly " a pawn. Call back Hassan. It's time to get his due."

* * *

Meanwhile, up in the mounds of the Black Rocks, a tired, ragged fox in a torn, black cloak sat moping down in cave, blazing blue eyes looking towards his furnace as the flames twisted and danced among the stones.

He was growing bored, and if there was one thing Zaher couldn't stand it was boredom. There had nothing sporting for a while now. No new peasants to torture, or challenging heroes to stand in his way. Not even the promise of infinite power, that was lost to him years ago.

Claws grinding hard into his palm, Zaher took out his anger on a nearby wall, punching a hole with his fist.

"If only she had never betrayed me, this world could have been mine to rule."

Suddenly, the fox snapped out of his depressive state, as his magical senses picked up the signs of an intruder climbing up the cliffs. The thought of new sport thrilled him to the bones, and the fox let out a sinister grin.

"Time to greet my guest," said Zaher, getting up and disappeared in flames.

For the poor soul climbing the cliff, only doom could be seen in his future.

* * *

"Whoa" cried Hassan, as he nearly fell off another ledge " this is not very easy to climb. How did Anubis talk me into this? Oh right, food."

After Hassan had delivered the message this morning and got paid for the task, he did not expect to be called back so soon to go on another run. Anubis and his men were running him around like rabbits, hopping from one place to another in order to pay off his debt.

Back when Hassan was a child, his family and village had been destroyed by heartless raiders, leaving everything as ruins in their wake. The destruction was awful, and many of the few villagers who had survived the raid, left to go find homes in the neighboring towns.

But Hassan refused to leave, and stayed with the bodies of his dead parents, before burying them both in a ceremonial mound. He made a vow at their graves that he would never leave their ancestral home behind, and would continue living in its ruins for the rest of his days.

However, in order to continue living there, Hassan had to learn to sneak out the other towns and pillage some of their food without being caught. More times he failed rather than succeeded, and that's how he ended up inadvertently working for GolmGold.

He had stolen from Master Anubis's food stash, and was slated to be killed for his crime, until Hassan begged for mercy, and Anubis offered a deal to spare his life. The deal was to swear complete loyalty to Anubis, and do whatever he asked without any question or concern. In return, his efforts would be rewarded with a bounty of food.

"A dangerous man lives up here in these mountains" thought Hassan concerned " and despite my own fears, I must accomplish this task!"

Finally a layout of level ground to stand on, Hassan breathed out with a sigh of relief that the harsh climb was over. Looking around, the rat observed his surroundings, noticing how the rock towers around him circled in like claws. This was definitely a creepy place to stop and rest, and a cold chill howled through the air.

The sudden sound of flames bursting up from behind him made Hassan start quick and turn around. His brown eyes instantly widened up with fear. Zaher had arrived.

The evil fox sorcerer appeared to be even more menacing in the cold, evening light. His dark red-orange fur shone out like flames, displaying the scars that cut across his arms and right eye. His mouth had been twisted into a permeant sneer, and the terror behind his yellow gaze nearly stopped Hassan's heart cold.

"Ah, lunch," were Zaher's first cruel words. Hassan trembled with fright.

"No, no, no!" the young rat said quickly " I have a message from Mr. Golmgold. He wishes your aid in destroying a heroic foe."

"A hero hmm?" said Zaher, seeming to consider the wish "And just what hero might he be?"

"A mortal" said Hassan " but with the arts of science at his hands. He has riches and will be tough to beat."

"Give me his name," snarled Zaher.

"The Masked Mallard" said Hassan " a.k.a Scrooge McDuck,"

"McDuck?!" said Zaher, surprised " Hmm, you are right, this is a challenge worthy of my task. I shall go and deal with this hero at once, but you… shall not leave here alive."

With that said, Zaher thrust his claws out at Hassan, zapping the rat right where he stood. A brief flash occurred, as the poor rat screamed and dissolved into dust, making Zaher grin wide.

"Finally" he toned " my true sport shall begin."


	4. Chapter 4: Beagle Blunders

**Ch.4: Beagle Blunders**

"Wow Uncle Scrooge" said Huey, looking at the big crowd outside of city hall with awe " everyone is excited for the return of the Masked Mallard."

"Yeah" said Louie " this is going to be great,"

"Oh, I wish I could share your confidence lads" said Scrooge, already in his Masked Mallard get-up " Being a superhero may bring in a big profit, but the demands of the job are taxing."

"Seems to be doing the trick for me" said Fenton, sliding in " Look, I'd better go change into my Gizmoduck suit. Back in a flash."

With that said the mallard ran off, leaving Scrooge and his nephews behind. Suddenly, the mayor's aid appeared in the door.

"It's time," the cat said.

"It's your moment Uncle Scrooge," said Dewey.

"Knock 'em dead!" said Huey.

Grinning at his nephews, Scrooge McDuck paused for a second, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath before stepping outside. All throughout his mind, his thoughts were twirling with prayers of hope, that nothing would go wrong today.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside in the streets, Ma Beagle and her boys were planning to stir up some trouble.

"Gee Ma" said Bigtime, as he and his two recently escaped brothers observed the crowd at City Hall " you weren't kidding that would be here today."

"Yeah" said Burger " how'd you do it Ma?"

"It's all in the paper boys" said Ma Beagle " Scrooge McDuck is playing superhero again. This is our chance to pay him back for last time."

During Scrooge's first Masked Mallard appearance he had messed Bigtime and his brothers while they were ripping off a jewelry store and scared them straight into the arms of the cops. The Beagle Boys were frightened, because they didn't know who this new maniac was, and he seemed almost invincible to stop.

But now that the truth was known to everyone in Duckburg, on who the Masked Mallard was, this placed an advantage in the Beagle Boys hands.

One way or another, Scrooge will pay, and he will pay today!

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press" greeted the mayor as he raised his arms to quiet the crowd at City Hall " welcome as we greet the return of one of our city's most beloved crime fighters Scrooge McDuck, better known as the Masked Mallard."

With cheers urging him on, Scrooge stepped up to the podium as the mayor stepped aside, and braced himself for the questions that would no doubt fly his way.

Soon the gates were opened, and the questions poured out like a flood. Questions like what inspired Scrooge to become a superhero in the first place and who had made all his gear.

How did he plan to balance his superhero routine with his regular business? Would there be another scheme like Lawrence Loudmouth's?

Scrooge answered each question with care and scrutiny, trying his best not to get caught in the word traps the paparazzi liked to throw in now and then to defame character.

Things were going well so far, and Scrooge confidently pointed out to the next reporter who raised her hand in the crowd.

"Aren't heroes supposed to have secret identities?" the woman asked.

"Yes" answered Scrooge " I suppose they are in a sense."

"Then don't you fear that all this publicity may bring great harm to your friends and family?" she asked.

"I assure you Madam" said Scrooge seriously " I would never let anyone close enough to harm my family."

"Really now?" said the woman, ripping off her disguise to reveal Ma Beagle underneath, a M-16 clutched in her arm " We'll see about that?"

And then she started shooting the gun, scaring the crowd. Scrooge McDuck instantly went out to stop her, but his feet grinded to a halt when the snarly voice of Bigtime sounded behind him.

Turning around, Scrooge realized to his horrors, that somewhere along the line he had been answering all those questions, the Beagle Boys had snuck their way into City Hall, and grabbed up his nephews, holding them hostage in their grip.

"If you want them to live, better not follow Scroogie" said Bigtime " We got 'em Ma!"

"Then let's scram boys!" said Ma Beagle, screeching up in their car.

Without a word, the Beagle Boys jumped in, their struggling hostages in tow, and they speeded off down the street. Scrooge only stood stunned for a single moment, before running out to Duckworth who was still parked at the curb.

"After them Duckworth!" Scrooge screamed as he jumped into the limo.

Duckworth complied instantly and chased after the Beagle Boys car. Back at City Hall, Fenton, now dressed in his Gizmoduck gear, rolled out onto the buildings platform to give a big wave to the crowd, but stopped stunned when he saw that no one was there.

"Hey, where did everybody go?"

Fenton may not have known it at the time, but charging through the streets of Duckburg was a life and death chase that could ruin three innocent lives at bay.

"We got to go faster Duckworth!" yelled Scrooge.

"The petal's to the floor now Sir!" said the bulter.

Scrooge worried, the bridge that led out of town was just a few miles ahead, if they didn't stop the Beagle Boys before the crooks reached it, his nephews lives were doomed.

Fortunately, at that moment, an unexpected miracle was flying in from the sky, circling down to the bridge like a meteor, as its engines failed driving it into a plunge.

The Beagle Boys and their Ma were celebrating their victory as they continued to drive. With Scrooge's nephews in hand, they could hold the lot for ransom, and demand a huge amount for their safe return, like Scrooge's money bin for example.

However, just their dreams of fortune seemed one step closer to coming true, the object from the sky crashed, creating a burning junk pile right in their car's path.

Hitting the breaks hard, Ma Beagle tried to stop the car before it crashed into the wreck, and ended up over-correcting letting the car crash on its side.

The shocking jolt that followed caused the Beagle Boys to lose their grip on their bait, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie instantly climbed out through the car window before they could be caught again.

Scrooge's limo soon stopped at the bridge, and the uncle instantly ran out to hug his nephews, grateful that they were all safe.

Police cars that had decided to follow behind Scrooge during the chase, rounded up the Beagle Boys and their mother from the car wreck before taking them to jail.

"What about the plane?" asked Huey " Was anyone hurt?"

"Nah" said an officer " He's fine, look for yourself."

With that said Scrooge and the boys turned to see who had crashed the plane, stopping the Beagle Boys before they could get across the bridge. Their mouths dropped with agape when they recognized the tall figure before them.

"Hey Mr. McDee" said Launchpad, with a wave " long time no see."


	5. Chapter 5: Launchpad's Tale

**Ch.5: Launchpad's Tale**

A few hours later, after the Beagle Boys and their Ma were placed in jail, and the media went home, reassured that everything was fine, Scrooge and his family traveled back to the mansion to have a cheerful reunion with Launchpad, who they haven't seen in years.

Ms. Beakley and Webby instantly set to work on preparing a welcome home meal for the tall drake, and after a cascade of smiles and hugs, everyone sat down to eat.

"Mmm! Mmm!" said Launchpad, as he put a sandwich in his mouth " You're cooking is as good as I remember it Ms. Beakley."

"And your appetite is good as well" said Ms. Beakley " I hope that you hadn't lost it when you moved to St. Canard."

"No chance of that," laughed Launchpad, sporting a big grin.

"Well what brings you back lad?" asked Scrooge " Aren't things going well in St. Canard?"

About three years ago, Launchpad had approached Mr. McDuck about his resignation, shocking the mallard to the quick. The pilot explained to Scrooge, now that everything around Duckburg seemed to be basically normal in the past few months, he had reached an adventuring gap.

"It's time to travel around and fly you from place to place" said Launchpad " but I want something more. I want go out and help people. You understand right?"

It was then that Launchpad mentioned about going to . According to rumors he had heard by people traveling out of town, there was this new hero called Darkwing Duck starting to build a rep in that city.

"I want to help out" said Launchpad " Fight crime. Please Mr. McDee, say yes."

Reluctantly, Scrooge, along with his family and staff, granted Launchpad's request and helped him move to St. Canard. Scrooge bought Launchpad a warehouse and transported all of his planes, even giving him some new material so he could construct new planes if he wished.

For a tightwad like Scrooge, it was the most the old mallard had ever really spent.

"Oh yeah, things are great there Mr. McDee," said Launchpad, bringing the focus back on reality " I just really wanted to see how you guys were doing after all this time. Didn't expect to drop in on you chasing the Beagle Boys though."

"Fortunate that you did," said Duckworth.

"Yeah" said Huey " if you hadn't crashed, our tails would have been toast."

Louie and Dewey nodded in agreement.

"Ah, shucks guys" said Launchpad " you're making me blush. By the way Mr. McDee, what was that getup I saw you dressed in anyway?"

"That's Uncle Scrooge's Masked Mallard disguise" said Dewey " it's a superhero idenity he came up with one day to shut up Lawrence Loudmouth."

"Yeah" said Louie " and now the whole city has a case of Masked Mallard fever."

"Heh, better not let Darkwing hear about this" said Launchpad " sometimes he uses the term 'Masked Mallard' too. He can still barely stand Gizmoduck since the time they first met."

Scrooge smiled, recalling the conversation he had with Fenton after he returned from that encounter.

"Well" said Scrooge " I'll just to make my PR issues are more manageable than his."

" Hey" said Launchpad " since I'll be sticking around for a week, how about I help you out on this Masked Mallard thing?"

"Sure Launchpad" said Scrooge, gripping the pilot's hands " always glad to have you aboard."

And with that said, the deal was closed.

* * *

Meanwhile, just across town in Mr. Golmgold's mansion, the old duck was seething with rage as he tore a freshly printed newspaper apart. On the front page was a photo a reporter had snapped about the incident on the bridge, and how Scrooge McDuck was involved in foiling the crime.

"Bah!" shouted Golmgold, balling up the paper and slamming it against a wall " This will make Scrooge more popular than ever! Where that's villain I was supposed to hire?"

With that said, a flash of purple flames suddenly appeared within the room, and the fox sorcerer Zaher rose out of the flames. Golmgold immediately jumped under his desk, and squealed out in fright, shakenly looking up at the sorcerer's cold eyes.

"Ah, " said Zaher, looking down towards the duck " I believe you have a deal for me?"


	6. Chapter 6: A Fatal Price

**Ch.6: A Fatal Price**

Meanwhile, over at Mt. Vesuvius, Magica was beginning to have a breakdown that Poe found hard to watch. When the sorceress got up this morning to eat some cereal and watch TV, Magica, Poe looked at her, dreading that empty stare.

"It's because of what happened last night," thought Poe disdainfully, remembering the news broadcast Magica had tuned into while practicing her spells. The words of the announcer still rang clearly in his ears.

 _"In efforts to welcome back Scrooge McDuck as a hero, the Masked Mallard, the millionaire's nephews were taken hostage by the Beagle Boys, and would have been doomed it wasn't for the fortunate arrival of Launchpad McQuack. What must Scrooge be thinking at this moment, since his actions almost cost three, innocent lives."_

Magica immediately shut that reporter off, and went back into her brooding state, heart beating with worry that Scrooge and his family had been in such danger, and she had been to busy stewing in her own thoughts to help.

Poe was getting annoyed at his sister's mood, and finally cawed to snap her out of it.

"Will you just stop this already?!" said Poe "All your stress is ruffling my feathers!"

"Quiet Poe!" shouted Magica " I am not stressed!"

"Oh sure" said Poe, sarcastically " you've just been mumbling about Scrooge for the past three hours. Why don't you just suck it up and take him on date already?"

"Ha!" laughed Magica, slumping down in a chair "Like he'll ever love me."

"You're just afraid that's all" said Poe " afraid that he'll reject you after all that's happened in the past. I guess you're happy to remain the laughing stock of the Despell name, 'cause you sure don't have any spine behind your words."

"How dare you?!" said Magica, her temper suddenly burning up with a flare " I could have Scrooge McDuck wrapped around my little, pinky finger by sundown."

"Sure you could" said Poe mockingly, then received a surprise as his tail feathers ignited. " Aah!"

"I'll show you!" said Magica, walking towards her room.

"Where are you going?" cawed Poe.

"On a date," said Magica, and the clever raven grinned.

* * *

Later, inside Magica's room, the sorceress was preparing herself to look beautiful for Scrooge, but had trouble deciding what to wear. Using magic, Magica changed her appearance multiple times in front of the mirror, rejecting nearly every look she tried out.

"No, no, no!" said Magica rejecting the Snow White, Tiana, and Medusa look before finally returning to her old form. " Ah, perfect! Scrooge won't be able to resist."

As she checked over to make sure that she was finally prepared, Magica's eyes widened for a moment when she looked at her desk, seeing a book open when it should have been closed.

"Poe" thought Magica, worriedly running over to the book " you'd better not have damaged my work."

After flipping through the pages several times, Magica breathed out a huge sigh of relief to see that there was no damage done, and closed the cover to the book tight before placing it back on the desk.

On it's face, in golden letters, the book's title read Lord McDuck.

Magica looked silently at the book as if it held a sign, a sign if whether the story in its pages could somehow be transformed into reality. She could still remember how she had first gotten the inspiration.

After she had run away from the marriage set against her, Magica was desperate to find someone else to love. Most of the potential suitors were to disappointing to even think about, but when her eyes landed upon Scrooge, she knew, in her heart, that he was the one.

However, after her first few grabs of the Number One dime had failed, the possibility of a relationship seemed to slip farther away from her grasp.

"Oh, if only he could see how much I care," Magica thought, and then started writing down her fantasies as a book.

"That's it!" thought Magica, snapping her thoughts back into reality " I'll take this book with me as a gift, and maybe then Scrooge will be mine."

Her mind made, Magica scooped up Lord McDuck and headed out of her volcanic home. Duckburg was waiting, and with it, her date with destiny.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Duckburg, at the Scrooge McDuck household, the mutli-billionare was ready to move on with his new Masked Mallard scheme. Every bit of merchandise that could be made from one of his companies arrived in bulk to the mansion, ready to be approved for sale.

Climbing out from under a pile of action figures, Fenton Crackshell dusted himself off, a little envious of playing second to his boss's ego. However, since Scrooge McDuck was the one paying all his bills, there was no way the accountant would be complaining any time soon.

"You're moving into a big world " said Fenton " I hope you're ready for the challenge."

"I'm more than ready for it!" said Scrooge happily " I'm on the ball! As soon as Launchpad comes with those… Heh! Ball? Oh blast, my wee nephews baseball game tonight."

"Yeah" said Fenton " aren't they going for the champs?"

"Ah" said Scrooge with a grown " the lads would kill me if I missed it. Come on Fenton, to Duckworth! We'll be at the diamond by six."

With that said, the two ducks left for the field, while about twenty minutes later, Launchpad arrived hefting a box in his hands.

Setting it down with an 'oof', the large duck wiped off a bead of sweat that formed on his forehead, and looked around to see that Scrooge wasn't there.

"Must have missed him," Launchpad, about to turn and go home when the phone started to ring. Curious to who it could be, Launchpad picked up the line to answer.

"Scrooge McDuck Enterprises, McQuack speaking," he said.

"Hello" said the person on the other end of the line " I have a message for Scrooge McDuck. I can't keep these ice cream bars frozen in my warehouse forever. Can't he come down and pick them up?"

"Sure, no problem" said Launchpad "I'll be there right away,"

And with that, Launchpad hung up, scooting his way back out the door to gather the delivery for his boss.

* * *

The warehouse was quiet when Launchpad arrived, pulling over to a stop in the lot outside.

"Hope Mr. McDee doesn't mind if I borrowed this," said Launchpad, hopping out of the car to go inside.

Although a little spooked by the silence, Launchpad soon found an open service door and stepped inside the warehouse walls. All that stood before him was a bunch of boxes and shadows, without a feathered soul in sight.

Immediately, Launchpad felt the feathers stand up on the back of his neck, an instinct he had learned to improve whenever helping Darkwing on a case. Danger was near, he was in a villain's trap.

Seconds later, Launchpad's instinct proved to be correct as the sorcerer appeared, his features looking meaner than they ever had before.

"Whoa!" said Launchpad, backing up in fright at sight of the fox. " Who are you?"

"Zaher" said the sorcerer, stepping close with a grin " I hunt for Scrooge McDuck."

"Mr. McDee?" said Launchpad nervously " He ain't here. I came to pick up the shipment alone."

"That is unfortunate" said Zaher " I will have to make sure Mr. Scrooge doesn't miss our next meeting. But until then...I shall leave a message behind."

Hardly a second later, a tortured scream rang out into the night.


	7. Chapter 7: Seeking Revenge

**Ch.7: Seeking Revenge**

Meanwhile, flying through the skies at the moment Launchpad was being attacked, the wicked sorceress Magica sat angrily cursing at her magic broom as it carried her towards Duckburg.

"Uh!" growled Magica, smacking the broom's handle as it flew " Cheap piece of splintered junk! This is the last time I use you as a mode of transport!"

Unfortunately, at the time Magica had decided to leave her volcanic island, there wasn't much time to negotiate travel arrangements. All plane flights to Duckburg had been closed off well into the night, and sorceress's transportation spells were only good for short distances about a mile or more.

These drawbacks are what caused her to go searching through her closet. Her Aunt's old broom was the only mode of transportation she could find, and boy, it was a bumpy rise.

Finally, the city of Duckburg came within her sights, and Magica let her frustration tone down a bit, but not much.

"Ah, finally" said Magica, smacking the broom " Hurry up you old stick!"

By that time, the broom had quite enough dealing with its unruly rider, and bucked fiercely as Magica hit it again. Thrown by surprise, Magica lost her balance upon the broom, and started plummeting towards the ground. The broom just flew on, leaving her without a care.

Magica screamed with a combined might of anger and terror as she plunged, the city of Duckburg coming closer with every second that passed. Air rushed past her in a fury, taking anything up with it that wasn't tied down, including some loosely shed feathers, and Magica's book.

The sorceress barely noticed as her prized novel was ripped out from the pocket of her robe, and sent sailing off in another direction, far from where Magica was destined to fall.

Putting down her hands fast, Magica cast a spell of levitation so she gently float her way to the ground. The timing of her spell wasn't exactly perfect, as she ended up banging the ground a little when she hit, but none of the less, she had managed to walk away from the frightening experience alive.

After cleaning up her ruffled feathers, Magica had every intention to unleash all of her burning anger up at the sky, but before she could do any of that, a desperate scream cut through the night, distracting her rage.

"Help!" the scream shouted.

Curious to who could be calling out, Magica immediately raced to the source of the sound. When she arrived, she gasped to see who it was.

It was Launchpad, Scrooge McDuck's faithful pilot who had moved away from Duckburg years ago, and he was hurt from head to toe. Faltering a few steps forward, the large duck finally collapsed onto the lot, and Magica ran up to his side.

"You okay?" she said " What happened to you?"

"Za…za…," Launchpad tried to speak, then black outed in the sorceress's arms.

Magica had no idea what words the poor pilot was trying to say, but the mystery of their nature could wait until Launchpad's wounds were healed.

Calling up to the heavens Magica raised up one of her arms, demanding transport to the nearest hospital in town. Magic soon came to answer her call, and with a poof of blue smoke, Magica and Launchpad vanished from sight.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the McDuck mansion, Scrooge and his nephews had just arrived back with Duckworth from the lads little baseball game.

"Man that was a great game!" said Huey.

"Yeah" said Louie " and I even caught the winning catch."

"Boy it was fun!" said Dewey.

"You all did well lads" said Scrooge, smiling proudly at his kin as the telephone rang. Duckworth picked up the cord. " I'm so proud of all of you."

"Um yes" said Duckworth, his worried tone cutting through the happy mood " I'll tell him. Bye."

"Duckworth" said Scrooge, immediately noticing the frown on his butler's face " what's wrong?"

"It's Launchpad Sir" said Duckworth nervously " he's…in the hospital."

"What?!" said Scrooge surprised "Lads stay here! Duckworth, let's go!"

And with that said, the rich duck was soon riding back in his limo, heading towards the Duckburg Medical Ward.

* * *

Minutes later, Scrooge McDuck burst into Launchpad's room, where the large mallard's injuries were being treated by a nurse even as we speak.

"Oh lad" said Scrooge, looking upon his poor friends condition " What happened to you? Speak to me!"

"I'm sorry Mr. McDuck" said the nurse " he's unconscious. Whatever happened it's going to take some time to heal, but he'll be okay. Please, step outside."

"But can't you tell me more?" asked Scrooge, almost desperate.

"The woman who brought him in is sitting outside" said the nurse " Go talk to her. Go."

Knowing that he didn't have any other choice, Scrooge stepped out of the medical room and into the hall, where a number of benches set so visitors could wait. Only one bench currently stood occupied, and when Scrooge caught a good luck at its occupant, his feathers rose in rage.

"You!" said Scrooge, pointing a finger at Magica, who sat on the bench. "What are you doing here?"

"The usual what else?" said Magica scornfully " What do think fool? I saved his life!"

"Bah!" said Scrooge "You're probably the one that caused it, trading his well-being for my Number One!"

"Pah!" said Magica " I would never stoop so low. Magic may have caused those injuries Darling, but they weren't from my spells."

Scrooge's fury toned down a little when he saw the truth in Magica's eyes. The wicked sorceress was not the one to harm Launchpad. But then, who was?

Scrooge thought for a moment over the possibilities. Launchpad had only arrived in Duckburg about a day ago, so it didn't make sense that local villain caused those injuries, especially if they were magic based. So far, Magica was the only sorceress he knew.

But when he moved to St. Canard, Launchpad did so with the premise to become a sidekick and help Darkwing Duck. Scrooge knew that mallard definitely had some powerful enemies that Launchpad's letters and Gizmoduck often reported. Could one of those supervillains followed Launchpad here seeking revenge?

No matter what the answer was, Scrooge's purpose would remain the same. He would seek payback for Launchpad. The Masked Mallard was going to bring them down!


	8. Chapter 8: Crime or Dollar

**Ch.8: Crime Or Dollar**

Tension breeched high at the McDuck manor as Scrooge McDuck finally returned home from the hospital, assured that Launchpad would be alright. That was the good news.

The bad news was that Magica insisted on accompanying him back home. He had blantly refused at first, but the sorceress made some crucial points on why it was nessacary for her to come along, and Scrooge didn't feel like arguing the whole night.

"Oh, poor Launchpad," cried Ms. Beakley, comforting Webbigail who sniffing by her side.

"Who do you think did this Uncle Scrooge?" asked Louie.

"I don't know lad" said Scrooge, moving to get his Masked Mallard costume from the closet " but I intend to find out!"

"Maybe it's one those crooks from St. Canard" suggested Huey " he does work for a crime fighter there?"

"Hey Fenton" said Dewey " does Darkwing Duck have any magical enemies?"

"Not really" said Fenton, who had seen Darkwing Duck in action more than once " he does have a magical girlfriend though. She used to be on the bad side but is good now. Very creepy, but they love each other a lot,"

"Really?" said Magica, perking her ears in interest to Fenton's tale.

So, the famous crime fighter from St. Canard had fallen in love with a sorceress hey? Magica's gaze turned briefly to Scrooge as he finished zipping up his purple and yellow garb.

If a hero like Darkwing could accept a reformed sorceress to be his love, wasn't there a chance that she and Scrooge could do the same?

"Well if it's not her who else could it be?" wondered Louie.

"Don't ask me," shrugged Fenton.

"There's always a chance it could be someone else" said Ms. Beakly " someone we don't know."

"Or someone all to well" said Scrooge, shooting a suspicious glare at Magica, not fully trusting her yet " Doctors say that when Launchpad was admitted he spoke before passing out, though they couldn't make out the words."

"It started with 'Za'" said Magica, attracting the attention of everyone in the room "when I found him at the warehouse, that's what I heard it to be."

"Za?" said Huey "That could be anything?"

"Why was Launchpad at the warehouse anyway?" asked Webby.

"Excuse me Mr. McDuck" said Ms. Featherbee, his secretary, suddenly coming in " I know you're busy, but I'd thought you'd like to know that Flintheart Glomgold called earlier this evening."

"I'll call him back later" said Scrooge " I have to much on my mind."

"That's just it Sir" said Ms. Featherbee " you remember that new equipment you installed to track and record calls you were to busy to answer. Glomgold is the one who sent Launchpad over to that warehouse. The whole thing was a trap."

* * *

"Glomgold" growled Scrooge under his breath, as he and Magica infiltrated the millionaire's mansion some time later. The later only forced to tag because they would taking on a magical foe. " you always were a dirty snake, but this time you have gone to far. You'll pay for what you've done to Launchpad. I'll make sure of it!"

"Shh!" suddenly hissed Magica, stopping Scrooge as they approached Glomgold's closed office doors.

Voices could be heard clearly on the other side. Glomgold's voice was one of them, and he sounded very peeved.

"You fool!" shouted Glomgold " I assign you to lure Scrooge to the warehouse, and you lure his ex-pilot instead!"

"I'm sorry Sir" said the stuttering voice of an employee " I thought the pilot would inform Scrooge about the shipment, not go after the delivery himself."

"Well you were wrong!" said Glomgold, pushing a button on his desk " Get lost!"

"Aah!" cried the employee as he fell down a shute.

"Good help is so hard to find isn't it?"

The sound of a third voice shocked Scrooge and Magica. Just how had there been another guy in there?

"You got that right Zaher" said Glomgold " Now Scrooge will be on his guard. It was unfortunate Launchpad was there."

"Most unfortunate" agreed Zaher " but it was fun,"

"Well your fun almost got to extreme" said Glomgold " Launchpad was close to being killed. Not that I would wish the same for Scrooge, but show a little more restraint. I don't want be traced for murder."

"Ah, but Mr. Glomgold" grinned Zaher " that's what you have paid me for."

Outside, Scrooge had heard enough. It was time to take these villains down!

With a swift kick, the gutsy millionaire burst through the door with Magica following behind him. Both Zaher and Glomgold were shocked by the intrusion, but when Zaher noticed one of the invaders was the Masked Mallard, the smirk on his face grew into a grin.

"Well, well" Zaher thought " looks as if my prey has come to me."

"Glomgold!" shouted Scrooge, his voice seething with rage " I overheard everything you rotten piece of haggis! You'll be doing time until the end of the century for what you did to Launchpad!"

"Ah save the heroics Scroogie" said Glomgold " I didn't mean for him to get hurt. Besides, you can't prove a thing."

"Watch me!" Scrooge growled, prepared to tackle his arch rival, when Magica suddenly pushed him out of the path of a beam.

"Gah!" cried Scrooge, as he landed on the floor. Then he looked up to notice Zaher glaring down at him, magic running through his fingers.

"Ah" said Zaher " I have been waiting a long time for this."

"Zaher stop!" screamed Glomgold " You're ruining my mansion!"

"How about you freeze," said Zaher, and shot a spell towards Glomgold.

With a short scream of pain, the Scottish mallard froze, changed into a statue of his former self, freshly made of gold. Down on the ground, Scrooge and Magica gasped, shocked by the transformation as Zaher focused all his efforts back on them.

"Now" said the fox " shall we begin?"


	9. Chapter 9: The Truth Comes Out

**Ch.9: The Truth Comes Out**

"Look out!" shouted Magica, shoving Scrooge out of the way as Zaher launched another spell, melting the ground where they once stood.

Scrooge breathed out a sigh of relief, partly grateful to Magica for rescuing him in time. But the old miser's mind was still gripped with fear, as he looked at Glomgold and realized how truly dangerous this Zaher character was.

"This is going to be fun!" laughed the fox, as he raised his arms in the air, summoning another spell.

Suddenly, there was a great rumble as the ground shook, and Glomgold's mansion walls crumbled and cracked until they fell onto the ground. Now only the skeleton of the foundation stood out within the harsh moonlight as Scrooge and Magica observed their surroundings with wonder and horror.

Then, the floor that was holding the two feathered fowl broke off from its base, rising into the air under the power of Zaher. Scrooge gasped as he realized what was happening. Not only were they rising higher and higher into the air, but the floor was changing as well, transforming into a giant, arena-like cage crowned on top of Glomgold's pile of rubble.

"Ah" breathed Zaher, his enchantment complete " the perfect place to slash broken hearts."

Scrooge instantly went into battle mode. Activating one of the tools in his futility belt, Scrooge charged at the warlock with every intention on sending that fox to the moon. However, Zaher wasn't someone to be extremely underestimated.

Sending a blast Scrooge's way, the Masked Mallard's crime-fighting bolos were made virtually useless. Instead of tying up Zaher, the bolos were turned into snakes and hurled back, aiming their venomous fangs at Scrooge.

Scrooge quickly dodged around the little suckers before they could sink a bite into him, and fired off his cane gun at Zaher, letting off a powerful laser blast.

The blast hit Zaher dead on, and Scrooge cheered at the thought that his foe met defeat.

But the victory party didn't last as evil laughter echoed out throughout the room, and Zaher revealed himself, completely unscathed.

"Nice try McDuck" said Zaher with a grin " but conventional weapons won't do anything against me. Magic is far more powerful than whatever is created by mortal hands. Let me show you!"

With that said, Zaher started gathering up a lot of energy into his hands, until they formed a blazing ball of white-hot fire. The glow of those deadly flames just inches from his beak, made Scrooge's feathers sweat in terrible fear.

Closing his eyes tight, Scrooge prayed and expected the worst, as Zaher unleashed his move. A few seconds later, the mallard was surprised to feel like he wasn't screaming in pain.

Reopening his eyes, Scrooge received a shot to see Magica standing in front of him, her hands out and supporting a shield she must have summoned up with magic.

"Well blow me down" thought Scrooge with surprise " she's actually protecting me from this fiend."

However, in the end, Magica's magic proved to be no match for Zaher's. Within seconds, her shield spell broke, and she and Scrooge were propelled backward across the ground, nearly flung out of their floating prison.

Bruises and cuts covered both of the duck's bodies as they struggled desperately on their arms, hoping to stand. Zaher's evil smirk only grew as he stepped closer, magic dripping from his claws.

His cold eyes glared at Magica as he bent down, and grabbed the female duck up by the throat.

"Ah Magica" said Zaher, only slightly choking the sorceress " it's been a long time my dear. Still looking as beautiful and sinister as always. Your powers have grown weak fawning over this spoiled, rich duck."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Scrooge peeved.

Zaher laughed out loud at the irony.

"You mean after so many years, she never told you?" said Zaher "Tell me, my dear Scrooge, why do you think Magica tried so many times to steal your Number One Dime?"

"To take over the world of course," said Scrooge without delay.

"Wrong!" said Zaher "It was for love. Your love, and yours alone. It's a tradition in her family line, a tradition she chose to tweak just so she couldn't marry me. Well, with her now in my hands, the power of both bloodlines will now be mine, and the world will fall to my hands. And you Scrooge, may enjoy your eternal rest."

With that said, Zaher and Magica suddenly disappeared in a puff of wicked laughter and fiery smoke, leaving Scrooge McDuck stunned on the floating platform alone.

Suddenly, the whole thing shook, losing height as Zaher was no longer there to control it levitating in the air.

Rapidly the platform shook and fell, racing towards the ground at break-neck speeds. Scrooge gripped his fingers tight around a bar, holding on for dear life, as visions of his death played throughout his mind.


	10. Chapter 10: For the Love of Greed

**Ch.10: For the Love of Greed**

The ground was getting closer! Scrooge knew that death was imminent, until his quick-thinking mind suddenly got a brilliant idea.

Cursing himself for not thinking of it earlier, Scrooge McDuck activated the spring-heeled souls on his Masked Mallard costume and leapt away from the falling platform seconds before it splattered to pieces on the ground.

During the middle of his arc, Scrooge McDuck swung out his cane, snagging hold of a flagpole just a few yards above the street. A great sigh of relief escaped from the old duck's beak as he gazed at the destruction below.

His heart was shaking with joy, grateful that he was alive.

"Mr. McDuck, are you alright?" suddenly came a familiar voice, buzzing up to Scrooge's ears. The mallard's eyes lit up with thanks when he saw who had come.

"Ay Gizmoduck" said Scrooge, greeting the hero of Duckburg with a grin " Just me down from here and back to the mansion. We have a lot of things to discuss."

* * *

Later, Scrooge McDuck's request had been granted, and he was now happy and safe at home. Soon after they had arrived, both Scrooge and Fenton stripped out of their superhero clothes, and went back to their normal wear.

Scrooge glared at his Masked Mallard costume with distaste. Once again, putting on that fancy pair of long johns had proven more trouble than it was worth. All thoughts of profit were now totally dismissed in regards to the terrible situation that now threatened them all.

Slowly, word by word, Scrooge explained what had happened at Glomgold's to his staff and nephews. The children all looked at each, worry reflecting in their eyes.

They all suspected something had gone an hour ago, when they noticed the chaos happening downtown. That's why they sent Gizmoduck to go and help their uncle out. Never had they dreamed the cause would have been something like this.

"Was that evil sorcerer telling the truth?" asked Huey, stepping up to his Uncle Scrooge. " Does Magica really love you or something?"

"I don't think so Huey" said Scrooge " that old warlock's words are nothing but lies! If Magica really intended to marry me, she could have cast a love spell on me anytime. What kind of sorceress can't do that?"

Before anyone could answer, a sudden tapping from the window surprised them all.

Running over immediately to see what it was, Louie rushed over to the window and opened the sill, letting out a squawk of surprise as a raven suddenly flew into the room, looking panicked and determined at the same time.

Scrooge immediately recognized who the raven was right away, Magica's own brother turned bird, Poe.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Scrooge.

"What does it look like?" said Poe, shaking his feathers as he perched on top of one of Scrooge's chairs " Looking for Magica of course. She came here hours ago to ask you on a date."

"A date?!" shouted Huey, stunned.

"Oh" said Webby sweetly " then Magica really does love Uncle Scrooge."

"Boulder-dash!" said Scrooge, refusing to believe it " That witch and I have hated each other from day one! There ain't the slightest attraction between us!"

"Frankly I don't see the attraction either" said Poe " but my sister has been trying to get married to you for a long time. However, you keep that Number One Dime of yours so well guarded it's a wonder she manages to steal it at all."

"What does that have to do with things?" asked Scrooge.

Sighing, Poe carefully explained about the De Spell family tradition that if the eldest daughter didn't want to marry their arranged groom, they could choose to go through the complicated ritual of heart stealing.

Heart stealing was the process in which the eldest daughter found for herself, another suitable man, and stole away his most prized possession so it could later bind them as mates for all of eternity.

It was a very complicated ritual that was created to safeguard against the unpredictability of love magic and protect them from any copyright infringement concerning a certain love goddess. It was a process that worked, but only counted if one way or another, the chosen groom decided to accept his fate.

Scrooge remained silent for several moments, processing all of the information Poe had just given him through his mind.

Thinking back to the past, Poe's explanation made sense for Scrooge's first encounter with Magica. Back then, the witch had been just as determined as today to steal his Number One Dime, however world domination never came into play until a couple of years afterward.

Scrooge quickly shook the mostly pleasant memories from his mind, and glared hardly at Poe.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Scrooge asked.

"Have you've seen my sister's new book?" asked Poe.

"Book?" asked Scrooge.

All of the sudden Duckworth jumped up, retrieving a book from his jacket sleeve.

"That reminds me Sir" said Duckworth " Earlier this morning I received this copy from your publishing company. Said they found some kind of book titled the Blade of McDuck in the streets, and wanted you to receive this for review, since you seem to star in the protagonist role."

For a moment, Scrooge did nothing more than stare with surprise at the book Duckworth handed over to him. Magica had wrote this for him?

Back when he had first met the sorceress, Magica had confessed her dreams in one day becoming a writer. But then, when she began her spree of trying to steal his Number One Dime, Scrooge dismissed all of Magica's words as lies, and was extremely reluctant to believe anything that she said.

"Oh my" said Scrooge, skimming through the first couple of pages in Magica's book. " This is quite good."

"And it will be the only one of its kind" said Poe, glaring at Scrooge " unless you get my sister back."

"I don't know" said Scrooge, shaking his head as he put the book down on a desk " I don't even know where that maniac Zaher took her! Besides, how can I really believe that Magica's feelings for me are true?"

"The only to find that out Sir" said Ms. Beakley " is to ask her yourself."

"Aye" sighed Scrooge, struck deep by his maid's words, and he stalked over to where his Masked Mallard costume lay. " I regret that I have to put this on again so soon, but when it comes to magic, you need every advantage you can get. And to save Magica, I'll need every edge I have."


End file.
